Tongues.
So back in Presec Legon and later at the University, I realized something fascinating.
When I was in Form1 and not really a Christian, I normally went to these places for prayers either alone or for congregational prayers. I observed what I may want to call “Rhythmic Prayers” or “Jama Tongues”.
You will find people in a circle with their hands around each other or in a circle clapping and saying some repetitive things. So there is a call and a response during such prayer meetings.
So Yesterday I was having a Christian Fellowship discussion with some brothers in the Reformed faith and this thing popped up. Here are some observations From the various campus prayer meetings in Ghana:
1. There was a group in UCC called Agapao Ministries. There was this leader who will always say “Yagayaga” and the rest will respond “pao”. They could do this for hours! Was all “Yagayaga” and “pao”.
2. At Science Gardens in UCC, you will hear “montie” and they respond “yate ooo”
3. Perhaps the most interesting one was at Paa Joe Park. One evening while they were praying this group came and started praying. The leader will say “Holy Holy Holy” and the others respond “Ghost”.
These “rhythmic prayers and tongues” could go on for hours and that’s all these groups will do and they will finish and say “Charlie, today we pray oooo”🤔
This Writing is not targeted at anyone.
Personally, I think the issues on tongues is simple but due to some beliefs by the charismatic, word of faith and some members in the Pentecostal movement it has become complicated.
My view on the topic kept changing but for almost a year and a half now it has been this.
1. I believe the giftings still exist, they have not seized. The gift of the Holy Spirit still exists, and the lord keeps blessing his church with them. So based on this background tongues have not seized. Because the work is missions depends on the gifts. And the work on missions has not seized. Corinthians 13:8-13, Matthew 28:18-20.
2. Since tongues is also a gift, it means I believe it has not ceased.
3. Now let’s look at tongues from a biblical point of view: The issue about tongues is an issue of language. And if we are talking about language then I think we should talk about the first experience in the Tower of Babel. Somewhere in Genesis 11. Where the diversity in human language started. It’s a long story so I wouldn’t go there.
4. Then later tongues was promised as part of a package for the people in the later age in the book of Joel.
Joel 2:28 ESV: “And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. ESV: English Standard Version 2016
5. Let’s note that in the Joel, we consider tongues as part because it’s a gift of the Holy Spirit. Joel didn’t mention tongues. In my ESV. From Joel, I think the next time tongues or gifts became an important part of a project in the Bible was in Acts 2.
As a Protestant, I prefer the ESV because of it’s historical background. No big deal.
Back to tongues!
6. So, the next time we saw tongues was the beginning of the church. The day the church was founded. In Acts 2. The verse 4.
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Acts 2:4 ESV
7. It is clear here, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and one of the signs was they spoke in other tongues. Not gibberish.
8. So tongues is supposed to be a known language. But the one speaking it is someone who originally cannot speak it. For example, I am an Akyem, then suddenly by the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m speaking Hausa or Spanish. Mind you they were not speaking the tongues with the aid of some drums nice music in the background.
9. After they started speaking in tongues, one of the confirmations we see there is, they made utterance.
- a spoken word, statement, or vocal sound."he whispered, as if to lend his utterances an added confidentiality"
According to Google’s inbuilt dictionary, a spoken word or vocal sound. So there’s the meaning behind it. The real meaning behind the sound.
10. And because there was meaning behind the utterance, translation came. The men over there from other parts of the country or the world who understood the language(tongues). Heard the disciples glorifying God. And it drew them closer, which gave Peter the opportunity to preach the Gospel of Christ to them. That day souls were won.
11. Based on Acts 2, tongues helped in getting people to hear the Gospel.
12. Brothers and Sisters, if you don’t speak tongues and you have repented and believe the Gospel. You’re a Christian. The basic requirement of becoming a Christian is not speaking in tongues. We can see it clearly through the Gospels.
13. Another misconception is that it is a heavenly language. It gains roots from 1 Corinthians 14, They read on the verse 2 and close the Bible. If you speak the tongues and nobody in the room is able to translate then for the good of the church. You shouldn’t.
